But what if you want to sell your books yourself? It takes some work, but that’s something you’re used to if you’re publishing on your own, right? Especially if you’re writing and publishing as a business rather than a hobby, selling your own books can open up a lot of networking and sales avenues; just listing on Amazon and leaving it be simply don’t offer the same opportunities.

If you find yourself at a lot of conferences, seminars, book signings, or other events, you might be leaving a lot of books on the table – literally – by not being proactive with your selling strategy. Here are a few ways you can be hands-on with your sales.

Sell Online
“But I already sell online! Isn’t that what Lulu and Amazon are for?”

You’re right, but the ease of selling through an online retailer comes with the inherent drawbacks of being locked into their platforms and rules. Maybe you want to sell your book somewhere you can have complete control – running your own discounts, bundling books, adding non-book products, and more.

Luckily, selling online has never been easier to do. Squarespace, Shopify, Big Cartel, and Gumroad are just a few of the platforms that let you set up your very own ecommerce site in minutes. Add images, product descriptions, and prices, and you’ve got yourself a full-fledged storefront that anyone in the world can find at their fingertips.

The best part is, it still works great for people at events. Maybe they don’t want to carry around a book for the rest of a conference or have to find a way to pack it into their bag for their flight home. Or maybe they want to take advantage of those special deals that you’re able to do when you’re selling on your own, like a bundle that includes one of your previous book.

Plus, there’s a lot to be said about having a professional-looking site with its own store. People know to take you and your business seriously because they can see that you’re taking yourself seriously.

Sell In-person
Conferences and other events are great places to sell your books. After all, you’ve already engaged your audience with a talk that showcased your expertise, and there’s nothing better than a book to let them go more in-depth and keep you at the top of their minds.

But even if you have a stack of books and a line of willing buyers, how do you move those books? Do you cross your fingers that everyone will have cash on them? Do you direct them to the Internet and hope they don’t forget before they have a chance to check out your site?

The answer is easy, because today’s tech allows anyone with a credit card to become your customer. Products like Square, Shopify, and PayPal Here let you plug a credit card reader right into your phone or tablet and accept plastic like a pro. You can also use Stripe or PayPal for electronic payments.

Selling in-person has a ton of benefits. You’re meeting your audience face-to-face, which goes a long way in building relationships and networks. You’re also giving them instant access to your book; instead of waiting around for it to be shipped, they can start flipping through it right away and strike up conversations with other readers.

And hey, maybe you’ll even get asked to sign a few copies. There’s no easier way to get started down the path of a celebrity!

What To Watch Out For
Selling books through a third party is easy. Take Lulu, for instance: you set up your book and we take care of the listing, the checkout process, the payment transaction, and making sure your book gets to your customer. If you’re selling on your own, these are all things you’ll need to take into account yourself.

Which platform are you going to use? Are there fees involved with accepting payments? How are you going to ship your packages out? How many copies of your book are you going to keep in stock? Will you accept returns?

That’s the tradeoff between selling on your own and letting someone else do it for you. When you have control of everything, you have to control everything. That isn’t to say one is better than the other; you just need to know what you’re getting yourself into and how much time you’re willing and able to put into your business. Just remember to keep your options open, and strike when the opportunity presents itself!

Have you had success striking out on your own and selling your books? Let us know your best tips and tools in the comments!

You’ve written your first book, or maybe it’s your 20th one; no matter. You want people to read it – that is, other than friends and family – and you want it in bookstores, but you don’t know how to get it there. You have what I call the “Bookstore Blues.” So how do you go about getting your book into bookstores?

I can’t tell you the best way for you to do it; that depends a great deal on you and the bookstore owner/manager. What I can tell you is how I go about it. I have found in my years as an outside salesman that there are a few key things that will boost your odds of success when you approach a bookstore owner/manager.

Prepare for your call

Go into the bookstore with your “elevator pitch” ready, rehearsed and sounding natural – not rote. Know who you need to speak with and be sure they have the time to talk with you. That may mean a phone call and appointment scheduled ahead of your visit; or, if cold-calling, a short pitch with a follow-up visit.

And by the way, even if you do have an appointment, remember that indie bookstores need to serve their customers, not you. So be prepared to have your pitch interrupted. Just back off and wait. Also, being able to chit-chat about the store’s uniqueness and the neighborhood it serves to show them that you are interested in their business. It only takes a little research to find out about them, and it will be greatly appreciated by them.

Researching the store can also save you a lot of travel and time as well. You don’t want to drive 50 miles only to find it’s a used bookstore or a genre-specific one. Some others may call themselves bookstores, but have most of their floor space dedicated to everything but books.

Benefit sell

Give them a reason to put your book on their shelf. What is so exciting about your book to make them want to share it with their customers? In other words, how will it benefit them and their loyal customers to have your book in their store?

Anticipate resistance

They were not just waiting for you to show up and save the day. Remember, you’re not the first one to knock on their door attempting to get a book on the shelf. Be ready to show what is unique about your book. Also be ready to leave a copy, flyer or some other material with the promise of a follow-up call in a few days or a week, once they’ve had a chance to look over your work.

Show you’re really in the game

Treat them as if this is the beginning, not the end, of your relationship. Suggest activities that you can do to help boost sales, such as signings or readings by yourself or with other local authors. How are you going to help move your book off the shelf?

Be ready to negotiate

Especially if your book is non-returnable, be prepared to have it put on the shelf on consignment. You can negotiate the split with the store. Usually, it’s somewhere between 60/40 and 75/25. (Don’t forget, you are absorbing the cost of printing). And while the latter sounds much better, it is a business and they might be more inclined to sell a book when they get a higher percentage of the selling price. Unless, of course, you have a best-seller on your hands – then go for it!

With these five things in mind, take a deep breath and remember that while you may not be a salesman (or saleswoman), most bookstore owners/managers will give you a chance if you present yourself as professional, knowledgeable, polite and concise when you approach them to get your book in their store.

And finally – have fun!

Author Bio

MJ Maccalupo, Ed.D.

Michael is the author of three novels: Where the Road Begins, Murder at Ravenswood Hall and The Allentown Murders (the Hap Pozner series), and a collection, The Almost Definitive Collection vol. 1 (short stories, essays, poems and a play). His books are available online and in bookstores in Southeastern NC, Western PA and Western NY. He has appeared on radio and television (cable and network) with his books. His books have also been reviewed in magazines and newspapers. Currently he is working on several novels to be released late this summer and fall. He lives with his family in Wilmington, NC. Visit his website at:http://mjmaccalupo.com

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